The present invention relates to a tape applicator including a tape head. The present invention relates more particularly to a tape applicator including a tape head comprising: a base; ii) a tape roll holder attached to the base; iii) a tape application roller attached to the base for applying the tape to a surface, where the tape head includes a tape path from the tape roll holder to the tape application roller; iv) a cutter attached to the base along the tape path between the tape roll holder and the tape applicator roller for cutting tape to form a removeable portion of a tape; and v) a remover attached to the base along the tape path between the cutter and the tape application roller for removing the removeable portion of the tape. The present invention also relates to methods of applying tape to a surface.
Various apparatuses and methods for attaching tape or labels to articles are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,505 to Salvator discloses an applicator for evenly applying an adhesive backed foil to edges of pieces of stained glass. The applicator includes guide members, which direct a foil strip from a foil spool past an application point to a take-up reel. The take-up reel is motor driven to pull the foil from the foil spool at a constant speed and to wind up a protective backing after the backing has been removed from the foil and the foil applied to the edge of a piece of stained glass.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,475 to Spotts, Jr. discloses a sealant strip applying system for applying a sealant strip to a top surface of a sheet material adjacent to a plurality of straight edges. The system is configured to support the sheet material and to produce the controlled repositioning thereof on an air flotation table with each edge being selectively aligned with a front edge of the table. The sealant strip is successively applied to each edge by a sealant strip applicator that is supported by the air flotation table and mounted for selective movement along the front edge thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,846 to Negate et al. discloses a system for the preparation of a light-sensitive material comprising a substrate, a light-sensitive layer and a base film which comprises a roller for providing a continuous light-sensitive sheet comprising the base film, the light-sensitive layer and a protective film; means for cutting the light-sensitive layer and a protective layer in the traverse direction; fixing means for temporarily fixing the sheet; a roller for providing an adhesive tape for removing the protective film; the adhesive tape-collecting roller; a bar for pressing the adhesive tape by its tip to the front end of the light-sensitive sheet and to press the front end against the bottom of the fixing means and peeling the protective film from the sheet; a dancer roll; light-sensitive sheet cutting means; substrate supplying means; and heat rollers for laminating the base film and light-sensitive layer on the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,644 to Anderson discloses a servomotor control labeler. The servo motor drives the label feed and employs a control system for the servomotor, which is responsive to the rate of feed or speed of the surface to be labeled as it is advanced to the labeler. The control system on receiving an instruct-to-label signal accelerates the servo motor smoothly from zero to the desired labeling speed while the surface to be labeled is advanced toward the labeler a predetermined distance and on receiving an end to labeling signal decelerates the servo motor smoothly from labeling speed to zero while the label feed is advanced a predetermined distance. The arrangement is such that upon an instruct to label signal being fed to the control system at a predetermined position of advance of the surface relative to the labeler the labeler will accelerate a label from a predetermined start position and deliver same to touch down on the surface to be labeled at the precise desired point with the label moving at the same speed as the surface and upon an end to labeling signal generated by a label feed sensor being fed to the control system the labeler will decelerate to bring the next label to be delivered to the predetermined start position in preparation for the next instructing-to-label signal.
Various types of tape are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,407 to Futhey et al. discloses a tape having transparent optical film made of a polymeric material that has a first smooth surface and a second structured surface for providing a simulated beveled appearance. The structured surface of the film is formed of a plurality of spaced parallel grooves, each groove being formed by a first facet which is substantially perpendicular to the first smooth surface and a second facet which makes an angle between 1 to 60 degrees with the first smooth surface. The film may be affixed to glass, the adhesive applied to the first smooth surface or the second structured surface, to simulate beveled glass. Another example of a tape is commercially available as 3M(trademark) Accentrim(trademark) Tape, series B200 and series B100, from 3M Company, located in St. Paul, Minn.
One aspect of the present invention provides a tape head. The tape head, comprises:i) a base; ii) a tape roll holder attached to the base; iii) a tape application roller attached to the base for applying the tape to a surface, where the tape head includes a tape path from the tape roll holder to the tape application roller; iv) a cutter attached to the base along the tape path between the tape roll holder and the tape applicator roller for cutting tape to form a removeable portion of a tape; and v) a remover attached to the base along the tape path between the cutter and the tape application roller for removing the removeable portion of the tape. In one preferred embodiment of the above tape head, the cutter comprises a rotary die. In one aspect of this embodiment, the rotary die is configured to cut one of a plurality of shapes.
In another preferred embodiment of the above tape head, the tape head further comprises a first actuator for moving the remover from a first position adjacent the tape path to a second position remote the tape path. In one aspect of this embodiment, the remover includes a pad, where the pad includes an exposed face facing the tape path, where the pad is configured to contact the removable portion of the tape. In another aspect of this embodiment, the pad moves to a first position adjacent the removeable portion of the tape to a second position remote the tape path, the first position of the pad adjusts to accommodate the accumulated thickness of the increasing number of removed portions of tape. In another aspect of this embodiment, the remover further includes a channel, where the pad is slideably engaged with the channel, where as the pad accumulates increasing number of the removable portions of the tape, the pad moves to successive first positions within the channel to accommodate the accumulated thickness of the increasing number of removed portions of tape. In yet another aspect of this embodiment, the pad further includes an adhesive layer on the exposed face of the pad, where when the pad is in the first position, the adhesive layer adheres to a first removeable portion of tape. In another aspect of this embodiment, the tape includes a tape backing and a layer of adhesive on the backing, where the tape is on a liner, where after the remover moves to the second position, the remover moves to the first position and the layer of adhesive on the first removeable portion of tape adheres to a second removeable portion of tape. In another preferred embodiment of the above tape head, the tape head further comprises a second actuator for moving the tape application roller from a first position remote the tape path to a second position adjacent the tape path.
In another preferred embodiment of the above tape head, the tape head further comprises a unwind roller attached to the base along the tape path between the tape roll holder and the tape application roller. In one aspect of this embodiment, the tape head further comprises a motor for driving the unwind roller at a speed greater than or equal to the speed the tape head is applying tape to a surface. In yet another preferred embodiment of the above tape head, the tape head further comprises a platen attached to the base along the tape path between the remover and the tape application roller, where the platen includes an edge, where the tape head further comprises a liner roller attached to the base, where the tape head includes a liner tape path from the edge to the liner roller. In another aspect of this embodiment, the liner roller is a driven liner roller.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a tape applicator including the tape head described above, where the tape applicator further comprises: an x-axis actuator operatively connected to the tape head for moving the tape head in the x-axis direction; and a y-axis actuator operatively connected to the tape head for moving the tape head in the y-axis direction. In one aspect of this embodiment, the tape applicator further comprises: a rotary actuator operatively connected to the tape head for rotating the tape head around the z-axis direction.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a tape applicator including the tape head describe above, where the tape applicator further comprises: a frame having a tabletop, where the tabletop includes an x-axis and a y-axis; a first sliding rod attached to the tabletop, where the first sliding rod extends in the x-axis direction; and a support arm for the tape head, where the support arm is moveably engaged to the first sliding rod, where the support arm extends in the y-axis direction, where the support arm includes second sliding rod extending in the y-axis direction, where the tape head is moveably engaged to the second sliding rod. In one aspect of this embodiment, the tape applicator further comprises: an x-axis actuator operatively connected to the tape head for moving the support arm in the x-axis direction along the first sliding rod; a y-axis actuator operatively connected to the tape head for moving the tape head in the y-axis direction along the second sliding rod; a rotary actuator operatively connected to the tape head for rotating the tape head around the z-axis direction; and a z-axis actuator operatively connected to the tape head for moving the tape head in the z-axis direction along a third sliding rod, where the third sliding rod is attached to the support arm, and where the third sliding rod extends in the z-axis direction.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of applying a tape to a surface. This method of applying a tape to a surface comprises the steps of: a) providing a tape, where the tape includes a tape backing and an adhesive on the tape backing, and where the tape is on a liner; b) cutting the tape to provide a first length of tape, a second length of tape, and a removable portion of the tape located between the first length of tape and the second length of tape; c) removing the removable portion of the tape from the liner; d) separating the first length of tape from the liner; and e) applying the first length of tape to a surface.
In one preferred embodiment of the above method, the method further comprises: f) separating the second length of tape from the liner; and g) applying the second length of tape to the surface. In one aspect of this embodiment, the removable portion includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and where step b) includes cutting a portion of the first end of the removable portion at an angle oblique to the length of the tape. In another aspect of this embodiment, step b) includes cutting the first end of the removable portion to include a first side and a second side, where the first side and second side form an included angle less than 180xc2x0. In yet another aspect of this embodiment, step b) further includes cutting a portion of the second end of the removable portion at an angle oblique to the length of the tape. In another aspect of this embodiment, step b) includes cutting the first end of the removable portion to include a first side and a second side, where the first side and second side form an included angle less than 180xc2x0.
In another preferred embodiment of the above method, the tape is a decorative tape. In yet another preferred embodiment of the above method, the tape is applied to a glass surface, and where the tape provides a simulated beveled appearance.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of applying a tape to a surface. This method of applying a tape to a surface comprises the steps of: a) providing a tape; b) cutting the tape to form a first removable portion of the tape and a first length of tape; c) removing the first removable portion of the tape; d) applying the first length of tape to a surface; e) cutting the tape to form a second removable portion of the tape and a second length of tape; f) removing the second removable portion of the tape; g) stacking the second removable portion of the tape on the first removable portion of the tape; and h) applying the second length of tape to the surface. In one aspect of this embodiment, the tape includes a tape backing, an adhesive on the tape backing, and a liner on the adhesive, where steps b) and e) include cutting the first removable portion of the tape through the backing and the adhesive, and where step g) includes adhering the tape backing of the second removable portion of the tape to the adhesive of the first removable portion of the tape. In another aspect of this embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of: i) advancing the tape forward; and j) repeating steps b) and h).
In another preferred embodiment of the above method, the first removable portion includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and where step b) includes cutting a portion of the first end of the first removable portion at an angle oblique to the length of the tape. In another aspect of this embodiment, step b) includes cutting the first end of the first removable portion to include a first side and a second side, where the first side and second side form an included angle less than 180xc2x0. In another aspect of this embodiment, step b) further includes cutting a portion of the second end of the first removable portion at an angle oblique to the length of the tape. In yet another aspect of this embodiment, step b) includes cutting the first end of the first removable portion to include a first side and a second side, where the first side and second side form an included angle less than 180xc2x0. In another aspect of this embodiment, the second removable portion includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, where step e) includes cutting the first end of the removable portion to include a first side and a second side and cutting the second end of the first removable portion to include a first side and a second side, where the first side and second side of the first end form an included angle less than 180xc2x0, and where the first side and second side of the second end form an included angle less than 180xc2x0.
In another preferred embodiment of the above method, the tape is a decorative tape. In yet another preferred embodiment of the above method, the tape is applied to a glass surface, where the tape provides a simulated beveled appearance.